Lesson Title: Looking at Different Regions of the U.S.A.Unit: Geographic Regions of the U.S.A.Subject Area(s): GeographyGrade Level: 5th Time Required: 2 – 3 weeksPA State Standards: o 7.1.5.B Describe and locate places and regions as defined by physical and human features. o 7.2.5.A Describe the characteristics of places and regions.o 7.3.5.A Identify the human characteristics of places and regions using the following criteria: population, culture, settlement, economic activities, and political activitiesNCSS Themes: o People, Places, and Environmento CultureBig Ideas: o Geographic representations are essential to explain the spatial organization of people, places, and environment.Essential Questions: o How is one place different from another place?Learning Objectives: o Students will understand that the regions of the United States are different.o Students will create a brochure or booklet about their region that includes the region’s states and capitals, landforms, bodies of water, climate, natural resources, tourist attractions, famous people, culture, and foods.Concepts and Vocabularies: o Concepts -
People, places, and environments on Earth’s surface may be organized spatially.
Physical processes and human characteristics define place.
People create regions to interpret Earth’s complexity.
o Model region projecto PensInstruction Procedures/Activities:1. Watch video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLxLs-QhXs0&feature=related.2. Assign students to groups based on the following U.S. regions: New England, Mid Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific, Southwest, West, and Southeast.3. Hand out graphic organizer for research assignment. 4. Explain to students they will be researching information from their assigned region. [Challenging – students are conducting research and using multiple sources to collect information]5. Explain the graphic organizer and the information the students are required to find.6. Hand out the rubric to students and explain the requirements of the project.7. Show students a model of the project.8. Instruct students to research their assigned regions in books and on the internet. [Integrative – students are reading literature and using technology]9. Students fill out the graphic organizer with information they discover while researching.10. Circulate among students, helping them find information and answering questions.11. When students are beginning to finish up their research, demonstrate using the website, http://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/5521/view.ashx, to create a booklet or brochure to visually represent the information students collected during their research. [Integrative – students are using a website to publish a brochure/booklet]12. Instruct students to use the website to create their own booklets or brochures.13. When brochures/booklets are complete, students should print their booklets/brochures.14. Instruct students to use pens to edit and revise their projects, both individually and with classmates. [Integrative – students are using the writing process to create their brochures/booklets]15. Instruct students to make the proper corrections to their brochures/booklets on the website.16. Instruct students to print the final copies of their booklets/brochures.17. Instruct students to illustrate their brochures/booklets – students can either print pictures from the internet or draw pictures.18. Students should paste their pictures onto their brochures/booklets.19. Tell students they will be presenting their brochures/booklets to small groups of their classmates.20. Explain how the students will be required to present their projects.21. Tell students they are required to dress up and use a prop that characterizes one of the famous people they researched for their project.22. Assign presentation dates – one region will present each day.23. Make copies of each student’s brochure/booklet so they can hand out to the group they are presenting to.24. On presentation day, divide the class up into as many groups as there are presenters.25. Instruct students to hand out copies of their brochure/booklets to each student in their group.26. Students explain the information they found on their particular region.27. Teach circulates around the room, observing the students presenting their information.28. Complete steps 24 – 27 for each day of presentations. (If time allows, more than one group can present each day.) Assessment: Students must create a booklet or brochure that contains the following information based on the region the student is assigned: states and capitals, landforms, bodies of water, climate, natural resources, tourist attractions, famous people, culture, and food. The project will also be graded on overall appearance, which includes proper spelling and grammar and the organization of the content. [Integrative – students are writing] The students will present their brochures/booklets to small groups of students. They will be required to dress like one of the famous people from their region they featured in their project and include at least one prop to fit the character of the person they are representing. [Active – students will be dressing up as famous people, students are completing a weeklong activity that promotes thinking activities; students are presenting their projects to their classmates] The following website will be used to create the brochure/booklet: http://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/5521/view.ashx.
PASS Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Looking at Different Regions of the U.S.A.Unit: Geographic Regions of the U.S.A.Subject Area(s): GeographyGrade Level: 5th Time Required: 2 – 3 weeksPA State Standards: o 7.1.5.B Describe and locate places and regions as defined by physical and human features. o 7.2.5.A Describe the characteristics of places and regions.o 7.3.5.A Identify the human characteristics of places and regions using the following criteria: population, culture, settlement, economic activities, and political activitiesNCSS Themes: o People, Places, and Environmento CultureBig Ideas: o Geographic representations are essential to explain the spatial organization of people, places, and environment.Essential Questions: o How is one place different from another place?Learning Objectives: o Students will understand that the regions of the United States are different.o Students will create a brochure or booklet about their region that includes the region’s states and capitals, landforms, bodies of water, climate, natural resources, tourist attractions, famous people, culture, and foods.Concepts and Vocabularies:
o Concepts -
- People, places, and environments on Earth’s surface may be organized spatially.
- Physical processes and human characteristics define place.
- People create regions to interpret Earth’s complexity.
o Vocabulary –- Regions
- Northeast
- New England
- Mid Atlantic
- Southeast
- Mid West
- West
- Mountain
- Pacific
- South West
Materials:o Websites:o Books:
- The United States Region by Regions by Patricia K. Kummer
- Regions of the Unites States: The West by Sally Senzell Isaacs
- Regions of the Unites States: The Southeast by Jennifer Blizin Gillis
- Regions of the Unites States: The Midwest by Elizabeth Curry
- Regions of the Unites States: The Southwest by Mark Stewart
- Regions of the Unites States: The Mid Atlantic by Gary E. Barr
- Regions of the Unites States: The Pacific States by Stephen Feinstein
- Regions of the Unites States: New England by Mark Stewart
o Computers with internet accesso Glueo Scissorso Graphic Organizer – Regions of the United StatesAssessment:
Students must create a booklet or brochure that contains the following information based on the region the student is assigned: states and capitals, landforms, bodies of water, climate, natural resources, tourist attractions, famous people, culture, and food. The project will also be graded on overall appearance, which includes proper spelling and grammar and the organization of the content. [Integrative – students are writing] The students will present their brochures/booklets to small groups of students. They will be required to dress like one of the famous people from their region they featured in their project and include at least one prop to fit the character of the person they are representing. [Active – students will be dressing up as famous people, students are completing a weeklong activity that promotes thinking activities; students are presenting their projects to their classmates] The following website will be used to create the brochure/booklet: http://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/5521/view.ashx.